Philandeb a



(No Model.)

P. A. HARRIS.

ELECTRIC BELL PULL.

Patented Oct. 9, 1888.

INVENTU R WITNEESES,

N PEYERS. Pholo-Lvllmgraphur. Washmglom 11.1;

ilNrrEn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PHILANDER A. HARRIS, OF PATERSON, NEWV JERSEY.

ELECTRIC BELL-PULL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 390,778, dated October9, 1888.

i Application filed December 29, 188d. Serial No. 222,868. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PHILANDER A. HARRIS, a citizen of the UnitedStates,residing at Paterson, in the county of Passaic and State of NewJersey, have made certain new and useful Improvements in ElectricBell-Pulls, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to bell-pulls which are to be used in connectionwith electric bells, and the objects I seek are to provide such abell-pull as shall be simple in its construction, perfect in itsoperation,economical in its manufacture, and one which may be readilyadjusted to the ordinary bellpulls for gongs and bells without thenecessity of extra boxing or casing, as is required by many electricbell-pulls now in use. These objects I attain by the use of the devicesherein described, reference beinghad totheaceompanyingdrawings,inwhichthe same letters and numerals refer to like parts.

Figure 1 is an elevation of an electric bellpull containing myimprovements. Fig. 2 is the same, showing the position of the spindleand springs when the former has been pulled outward. Fig. 3 is a view ofthe detachable supporting device by means of which the contact-plate Pis attached to the escutcheonplate. Fig. 4 is an elevation of anelectric bell-pull, showing my invention in modified forms.

S is the spindle of an ordinary bell-pull, provided with the usual knob,K, and surrounded by the usual spiral spring, 6.

O is a metallic carriage fastened to the end of the spindle S, carryingupon it the small rod r, surrounded by the small coiled spring 5. To therod 9' is permitted a movement in the direction of its length throughthe openings 8 8 in the arms d f of the carriage, for the purposehereinafter described.

E is the escutcheon-plate.

P is a metallic plate attached to the escutcheon E, but insulatedtherefrom by the block of wood, rubber, or other non-conducting materiala. One wire of the electric battery is attached to the plate P, and theother wire is connected directly to the escutcheon E.

The carriage O performs the function of the usual pin in compressing thespring 6 when the spindle is pulled outward, and a pin or ring, t, orother similar device serves a like purpose in the case of the smallspring 5, as well as to retain the rod 1" within the carriage O. The rodr should project beyond the carriage sufficiently far to have its endjust out of contact with the plateP when the spindle S is in its normalposition.

The operation of the device is as follows: When the knobKis pulledoutward, carrying with it the spindle S and its attached carriage G, theend of the rod 2' is immediately brought into electrical contact withthe plate P, the electric circuit is established, and the bell rings,and continues to ring until the knob is released and the spindle assumesits normal position. One end of the rod 0' is held in close contact withthe plate P while the knob is being pulled outward and during nearly allthe time of the outward and backward movement of the spindle S, as abovestated, by means of the spring 5, and at the same time any suddenstoppage, jarring, or other interruption to the easy and smooth workingof the device is prevented by the opposite end of the rod passingthrough the opening 8 in the arm (1 of the carriage 0 while the latteris moving toward the plate P. \Vhen the knob K is released, the springs6 and 5 return the spindle S and the rod 1', respectively, to theirnormal positions, thereby'breaking the contact between the rod 1' andthe plate P, and the bell ceases to ring. The distance between the armsd andfof the carriage O, and the space between the arm f and the plateP, and the size of the springs 6 and 5 should be so proportioned thatwhen the knob K is pulled outward until the arm f is brought intocontact with the plate P, thereby preventing any further outwardmovement of the spindle S, the springs 6 and 5 will not be compressed totheir fullest extent, as shown in Fig. 2. In this way the life of thesprings is not exhausted by the working of the device; but theirelasticity is in great measure preserved, and they are rendered moredurable and lasting than would be the case were the greatest degree ofcompression permitted.

It is very evident that many modifications may be made in the form andarrangement of the several parts of the device herein described withoutin any sense changing my invention. One of these modifications I haveshown in Fig. 4:.

suitable manner.

I am aware that the use of two or more coacting springs in devices foropening and closing an electric circuit is not new, such cooperation ofsprings having been heretofore employed in electric railway-signals,electric annunciators, circuit-closers,&c. I do not therefore claim,broadly, as new the concurrent action of the springs in establishing andbreaking electrical communication. My invention consists in the novelconstruction and arrangement of parts, as herein described, and the ap'plication and adaptation of the same to an ordinary bell-pull. One ofthe main features of my invention is that the parts herein described canbe readily combined with the spindle and escutcheon of the usualbell-pull (such as is commonly used to ring bells and gongs without theaid of electricity) to form a compact device which can be more easilyused with and more economically applied to electric bells than cansimilar bell-pulls heretofore made.

For the sake of convenience, and for the p ar pose of adjusting mydevice to the ordinary bell-pulls for bells and gongs, I make theseveral parts of my device separable and detachable from the escutcheonand spindle. Thus, as shown in Fig. 3, the support for the insulatedplate P is made in the shape of a collar, N, which may readily beslipped over any ordinary spindle and secured to the back of theescutcheon by means of screws or in any other Likewise the carriage G ismade of two parts, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and fastened to thespindle by a screw or in any other usual manner. It is clear that thecarriage may be made of but a single piece. I make it of two pieces, inorder to have a better bearing surface against the spring 6, therebycontributing to the more easy and perfect working of the device; butitis not essential that these several parts he made separable anddetachable from the spindle and escutcheon. They may be made integralwith the same, and such parts cast together as may be practicable andconvenient.

WVhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an electric bell-pull, the combination of an escutcheon-plate,having attached to the back thereof an insulated contact-plate, and aspindle and its embracing-spring, arranged as described, said spindle.being provided at its outer end with a knob or handle, and having uponits inner end a carriage supporting a spring actuated contact piece,substantially as described, and for the purposes set forth.

2. The electric bell-pull consisting of the escutcheon-plate E, spindleS, spring 6, knob K, insulated contact-plate P, detachably con nected tothe escuteheon-plate, the rod 9',

spring 5, and the carriage G, detachably connected to the inner end ofthe spindle S, all constructed and arranged substantially as shown anddescribed, and for the purposes set forth.

3. The electric bell-pull consisting of the combination of the followingelements,viz: the escutcheon'plate E, spindle S, spring 6, knob K,insulated contact-plate P, dctachably connected to the escutcheon, rod1', spring 5, and

carriage G, provided with the stop f, detachabl y connected to the innerend of the spindle S, all

constructed and arranged substantially as shown and described, and forthe purposes set forth.

PHIL ANDE R A. II ARRIS.

\Vitnesses:

JAMES H. Romans, PETER

